Rescue the Fairies
by NyantasDragon
Summary: One by one, Fairy Tail is being picked off by who knows what. What started off as one, is now becoming increasingly worse. Fairy Tail is waiting for someone to come save them, even subconsciously. Helpless and feeling defeated, the fairies wait. An anguished Lucy leaves Fairy Tail to become that savior... before her family is completely lost.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N:_

_Sup. I'm going to anger my fellow readers of my other stories and start a new one. *wink*_

_Hrm. After some horrible "WEBPAGE EXPIRED", I have to rewrite the entire thing. *sigh* This is most certainly because I'm writing this directly onto Fanfiction. Pretty stupid eh? _

_I suppose that's all that's needed to be said-now it's SHOWTIME!_

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I, NyantasDragon, hereby proclaim Fairy Tail to be mi- *gets smacked by Lucy* Lucy: WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? *sigh* Nyantas: Reading this part about copyright... let's see... oops. Wrong book... heh heh... Lucy: I'll do it. NyantasDragon DOES NOT own Fairy Tail, and WILL NEVER DO SO. Nyantas: Yeah right. Lucy: When you do, I'll treat you to anything you want.<strong>

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><p><span>Chapter 1: Holding Back<span>

"NO! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

_Plop._

"WAIT! NO! H-HE'S STILL ALIVE I KNOW IT!"

_Plop. Plop._

"NO! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!"

_Plop. Plop. Shwaaaaaaaa. _

"H-HEY! W-WAIT! WAIT I SAY!"

"Natsu."

"YEAH LUCY? I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR NONSENSE RIGHT NOW."

"He won't like it if you're not... man enough to hold back."

"I-Lucy... but he's still alive, I know it."

"It's time to go back."

"Yeah, Lucy's right."

"Erza?"

"He's sleeping, don't wake him up."

"Erza, it's not fair."

"Natsu."

"Gray?"

"Let's go back in. It's raining."

"No."

"NATSU!"

"Lucy?"

"The funera- it's over. Let's go back and leave Lisanna and Mirajane here by themselves."

"Bu- fine."

**I should've known that Elfman's passing was the first of the series to come. It was strange. We were being completely destroyed. We were being eliminated. We were helpless. We were like little ants that conveniently come by only to be crushed after being so useful to the queen. **

**Those fun, great, carefree days had passed. **

**We held back our tears and waited. For someone. For someone to come and save us.**

**Fairy Tail. My..._our _home and family... were slowly being eaten away by some unknown force. **

**Natsu, he too, felt lost. I'm sure. No. The entire guild felt lost and without soul. **

I trudged to the bar. "Mirajane. My rent. I need a job for it," I mumbled, completely weak and feeling heavy.

There was no reply.

"Lucy, I'll come too." I jumped. Natsu? Turning my head around with whatever little strength I had left, I saw a smiling Natsu. Though that smile was fake. He, too, was not "fired up", and ready to go. "Lisanna... would've wanted me to come too. We don't know whatever's out there."

"I... okay," I whispered. "But I don't know what kind of job to ge-"

Natsu's eyes widened. He gaped at something behind me. I whipped my head around, and screamed.

Mirajane... dead... She had, as the most likely conclusion, killed herself to the death of her siblings, and friends. "M-Mirajane?" A knife. It was more than enough to kill her weak heart. Natsu ran to help her. Gray and Erza leaped up from their seats and dashed to the scene. It was clearly suicide. Mirajane's hand had been carefully wrapped around the knife, and her face was dry from tears. No one else came to help. The master was out on a meeting.

She was dead... like her siblings. The Strauss were all gone. The manly Elfman, the playful Lisanna, and the kind Mirajane. I fell to my knees, and screamed, letting out all of my pain and suffering at once. It wasn't enough though, to release my sadness, and helplessness. I wanted to die.

I realized then, no one would come to save us.

And then everything turned **black**.

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><p><strong>Closing Words:<strong>

**Um. So I'm hoping this first "chapter" had impact. Frankly, this felt more like the prologue than anything else and stuff. **

**Anyway, this chapter was INCREDIBLY short. So, as a small token of apology I'm going to publish CHAPTER 2 as well later on in the day. **

**Reviews:**

**Praise will be loved and cherished.**

**Criticism will be welcomed with wide open arms. **

**And **

**Flamers will be murdered, *eye glint*.**

**~Nyantas**


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N:_

_I'm BACK! YES! I have returned to give you the SECOND chapter of this [Lucy: Self-proclaimed] wonderful story. .-._

_*whine* Luchie what did you do? _

_Lucy: *glare*_

_Me: Huh?_

_Lucy: Nothing._

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><p><span>Chapter 2: "Can You Save Fairy Tail?" <span>

_"That's the end of our meeting." _

_I got out of my chair, and trotted out with a crestfallen feeling. Last time I came home from a meeting, Lisanna had apparently died. I didn't want the same thing to occur again, and I decided to quickly head home._

_"Makarov!" a voice called. I looked back at the source. _

_"Oh... it's you. Juniper." I tried my best to smile at her. She had recently started a new guild called **Brave Crows. **It had a dangerous aura to it and it felt strangely... dark, but Juniper was quite diligent in what she did. "How's it going with the new members?" _

_"Ah... great! Anyway, I'd like you to wait here. I've got something for you," Juniper said cheerfully. I could swear I saw a smirk on her face before she left, but I simply thought nothing of it. __After a while, Juniper still hadn't come back. All the other participants in the meeting had left, and it was getting late. "Well, I guess I'll ju-" _

Stab.

_Pain swept through my body. It was unlike any other. "AGH!" _A dart? _I thought. _What is the meaning of this? No matter, I must get home...

_**My children... they're waiting for me to come back. They're waiting for me. I have to go back... **_

**_I have to go ho- _**

_"AH!" a large rock hit my head, and another dart came for my right leg. I narrowly dodged the dart from hitting a vital part in my leg, and was grateful it was not poisoned. "Must... go... home..." _

**_I trudged as I walked home. As I did, I broke my right arm while I went home due to my condition, and my luck opposing the terrain. Because of this, I also injured my left leg. However, it was not far, so I continued. I walked through Magnolia and went without anyone seeing me hurt thanks to a convenient cloak I had carried with me. _**

**_Fairy Tail... my children..._**

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><p>"Lucy! Lucy! Wake up!"<p>

I stirred, and slowly opened my heavy eyes. Natsu was hovering over me with a concerned look on his face. Erza and Gray were also there, and also very much perturbed. What had happened quickly came back to me. Putting the pieces together, my heart began to fall.

"Mira...jane...," I whispered, and my eyes began to moisten. Natsu's face completely darkened, and I felt something warm slide down my cheek. Erza looked away, clearly trying to hide her anguish. Gray stared, and seemed to be out of it. We were all holding vigil for our fallen comrade, friend, and family...

An ominous silence hung in the air in the guild of Fairy Tail, and I quietly remembered the days when they...we... were still... still happy. Elfman yelling, "BE A MAN!" to me, and protesting to his deafening voice. Lisanna giggling at the sight, and watching while smiling full of happiness and love. Mirajane, she too, smiling, watching her younger siblings as they laughed and did so many things that made Fairy Tail full of life. The Strauss all did something to Fairy Tail... making it Fairy Tail. Now that they're all gone, it made things so much more different. Although... one fact remains; they couldn't be saved.

But no one would ever come save them anyway.

Erza broke the silence, "What do we tell Master?" Gray looked at her.

"What we did before. Tell him Mirajane slept. Forever," Gray replied. He tried to act casual, but his voice felt rocky and sadness rode on his words.

_Silence. _Natsu got up, and looked towards the entrance to our now eerie and miserable guild.

"G-Gramps?" Natsu froze, and I sighed.

I gestured for Natsu to follow me. "Let's go." Natsu nodded, and silently followed whilst looking away.

As I walked toward the entrance of our guild, I noticed Master had a distant and odd feel to him. Not only that, Natsu looked on guard. He probably sensed something out of the ordinary, so I kept my keys ready to go. That aside, why was Master wearing a cloak?

Erza and Gray ran over. Natsu had an alarmed look on his face as he sniffed the air.

"_Blood?_" Natsu whispered. I silently gasped, ran over, and looked closer at our Master. As I suspected, he was heavily injured, and was close to death. Erza and Gray were already helping Makarov go on his way to the guild building.

"Fairy Tail! Come on! Come here and help Master!" Erza called. No one came. "You're all pathetic! Come on! Come here! He's _dying! _Do you _want _him to die?" After a silent, what seemed like forever, moment, Laxus came with a sullen look on his face. Wendy arrived as well, and came down. The traumatizing effects the last few weeks had on her left her in the corner, saddened, with only Carla to be there to comfort her.

"Give it up," he mumbled. Natsu glared.

"Wha-?"

"I said **GIVE IT UP!**" Erza glared at the grandson of the very injured man that she was carrying. Gray growled.

"Do you have no feeling for the Master of Fairy Tail? Rather, do you **have any emotions for your own GRANDFATHER?" **Gray yelled. I'm sure I'm the only one who noticed, but I saw Laxus flinch.

"I... ah... It's too late," Laxus replied. Several others of Fairy Tail came out of the entrance with a horrible look on their face. After all, the Strauss were gone, and... I...

Levy too, was gone. Perhaps I never should have tried to forget her.

"Gramps...," Natsu growled. He lit his fist and punched the ground. "Why you too?"

Gray stopped walking, while Erza continued until she too, stopped. "We can save him. I know we can. From what I can tell, his right arm is broken, left leg fractured, and his head and his right leg are bleeding. Gray, Natsu, come with me. Lucy, you watch over Master. Wendy, check his condition before you come with us. Try to heal him. He... ah... never mind." Erza then sprinted off with Gray and a reluctant as well as angered Natsu following.

It was then I noticed that something small yet sharp was inserted in Master's chest. I looked over. _A dart? Was he assassinated? _I wondered. Swiftly taking it out, I stared. _Poison? I wonder why Natsu couldn't sniff this out. _Wendy came over.

"Hey... what's this?" I asked. Wendy looked horrified.

"That's... a strong scentless poison. I can't tell what it is, but recently Master was also feeling a bit ill. This and that... all of it... Master... It really is too late. I'll... I'll go get Natsu, Erza, and Gray," Wendy quietly replied, as she ran back. I could hear her sobs from afar as she ran off.

Right after, Master made a faint groan. I looked at him and cried, "Master? MASTER! Please wake up! They're coming! They're coming to save you! You won't die! Like Mira-... I..."

"Lucy... is that you?" Master asked, not opening his eyes. I nodded vigorously, tears forming rapidly.

"Yes, Master!"

"Ah... I... have... a request," Master whispered hoarsely, while doing his best to smile. I grabbed his hand and held it up firmly, not wanting the old man's warmth to fade.

"What is it?" I asked quietly. Master sighed and he tried opening his eyes.

"Can you save Fairy Tail?" he asked.

"Yes. I-I'll tr- I can."

"_Thank you..."_

**His hand slipped away from my hold, and a warm and relieved small smile formed on his gentle face. The tears began to fall, and I began to sob. Erza, Gray, and Natsu arrived just then, and while they all ran to our fallen Master of Fairy Tail, I cried. I cried my heart out. Screaming and crying I blocked all my senses out and the sadness that had slowly been etching into my heart began to surge into my body as newfound power. **

**I realized I had a new mission:**

**to... to save Fairy Tail. To become Fairy Tail's savior. To save my family.**

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><p><strong>Closing Words:<strong>

**So sad. ;-; So much sad. Sigh. **

**That aside, I'm sorry it's so late. Though, I did try my best to keep my promise about CHAPTAH TAOW being on the same day, so well, this can't be avoided really. **

**Ah... I really hope it's sad. (because otherwise it wouldn't match the genres too well) **

**Anyway, the first part of the italics was kind of like the prologue to chapter 2. It's honestly all I can do to make this longer and have clues in the first place, but of course, our young heroine still doesn't know. .-.**

**Btw, Juniper is an OC. :3 For those of you who don't know. **

**And also... um... Gajeel is on a mission so he's not there. He kind of just left to emit his anger about Levy's (oh noes) death. **

**Also, in the previous chapter, I mentioned family AND friends. See how friends is plural, yet Levy is only other one besides the Strauss before Makarov's death?**

**Don't worry. I was actually thinking of Wendy's death, but then I would get killed, so ya know. Killing Levy AND Wendy would get you barging into my home and putting me at gunpoint ordering me to change this. **

**Sooooo yeah. The only reason is to make sure that you don't know that Levy's the only one who's killed, even though she is. Ah. It's to add suspense, but now that I think about it, I didn't really need to. **

**Sigh.**

**Oh. And I'd love feedback! **

**~Nyantas**


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: _

_:3 Chapter 3! _

_By the way, I also know that Lucy becomes completely OP stories are very common. That's a bit more of what I'm doing here. Heh. . Although, I'm not necessarily sure what's going to happen..._

_Ah, well, read, and let's follow Lucy's perilous adventure to become a heroine. :3_

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><p><span>Chapter 3: Goodbye<span>

_Plop. Plop._

_Rain? _I wondered. _But this... is... like... his funeral. _

_Plop, Plop... Shwaaaaaaaaa_

"Gramps...," Natsu murmured. Erza put her hand on his shoulder, and her face darkened. Gray stared at the coffin, and like the rest of Fairy Tail, had no more tears to cry. Natsu reached his arm out, and then lowered his head. "I... couldn't save ya..."

I stared with a blank look at the coffin. _Master... I'll... fulfill... your dying wish._

I came up to Natsu, and lightly tapped his other shoulder. "Let's go back to the guild," I murmured. The rain _pitter pattered _through the cold air and the ground was wet and moist from the rain. Gray turned around and started walking back, dragging his feet through the mud. Erza followed. I waited for Natsu to come as well. He didn't budge.

Then I grabbed his hand, and tugged. "Master he-he was a great... father," I whispered. "So he wouldn't want us out here where we would catch a cold. Come on." Natsu paused, and then followed me, still lowering his head.

_Natsu... __I'm going to save you. Just... wait..._

"Hey Lucy?" Natsu mumbled, stopping in his tracks. I looked back at him. Warm droplets were rolling down his face.

Taken aback for a moment I quietly asked, "What is it?"

"Did... Gramps say anything before... we came back?" I looked away, unsure of how to reply.

I took a deep breath. "He... said... to stay happy. Because he loved us all," I replied, lying. Even so, I'm not sure if it really was a lie. It felt... it felt like our Master really... truly... wished for the best of us.

Natsu didn't say anything, and just proceeded to walk, but he stopped the tears. I continued as well, and we were silent the whole way back to the guild.

As we arrived at the entrance, the eerily quiet and sullen look on the members of Fairy Tail made me think about how much we had to stop these deaths. "Lucy... I wonder... if... never mind." I looked at the Dragon Slayer, and smiled. _I'll save you Natsu. _

"Natsu. I... I have some business to take care of so..."

_Hug. _

"Lucy?"

"I'm sorry."

"Wha-What?"

And with the faintest sound I made what I wanted it to seem like...

"Goodbye."

I then left his warm embrace with a smile, and then ran away from Fairy Tail.

_I'll come back. _"W-Wait! Lucy! Don't go!"

_And when I'll do... you'll all be saved. _"What wrong, Natsu?"

"Erza, she! Gray! She's... I-"

_Erza... Gray... and Natsu... _"Wait for me Lucy! Take me with you!"

_I'll save all of you. _"No! Don't leave! Please! Come back! **WAIT!**"

_I'm sorry. _"Lucy!"

**_Goodbye._ **"LUCY!"

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><p><strong>Closing Words:<strong>

**Ah. The sadness. The ;-; faces we make when I, with the cold heart, cannot cry. Sigh. **

**My tears don't roll down that easily. :/ So unfortunately, I don't know if this is sad or not, which if it was sad, would completely fit the genre... I think. **

**Well. This chapter was unusually short. Only about 500 words. That's... so... _few. _I normally go over 1000, and if by chance, over 2000, but... this... is _too _short. **

**I feel like this is still the prologue. Hmm. Just now I'm thinking I should've started later and then put flashback here and there... but I'm stupid... so ya know. -.- Sigh. **

**Um... So yeah.**

**Feedback is appreciated, and I hope you enjoyed reading! **

**~Nyantas**


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: _

_Omg. Yaaaaay! TWO reviews and people following and favoriting (- new word that I just made :3) my story ^^. Thanks so much!_

_Oh and I also reply to the reviews. :) Just so you know! And an additional thing-I may or may not include NaLu depending on feedback. :/ Because you know... I really want to know what you guys want ^^. I don't particularly mind... but I must warn you... I am absolutely __**horrible **__writing romance stories. So yeah. :D_

_Also, I attempted to fix some grammar mistakes I may have had in my earlier chapters. Although, indeed, some were on purpose. Such as, sentences starting with But or And (even though that's pretty usual in a book) and the one word sentences... _

_But (-see?) you readers don't mind right? ;) _

_Not only that, I'm writing this from my vacation in Florida! VACATION! VAC-A-TION! Meaning that I am writing this for all of you even though I'm like this! Better appreciate! (I will admit, nevertheless, I am writing this on my own free will...) ;D_

**_ley-de-leo: Umm. Okay, so I think what you said was in Spanish (Google Translate). So from what I gather, you thought it was interesting or something? Anyway, thanks for the review! It's the first one I've gotten for this story. ;) (not that I mind whether or not I get them-I write because I like to). _**

**_Meoow Meoow Mew Meeow: Thanks for another one of your amazing reviews! Hoping that I get more! :D .-. I'm glad you like Fairy Tail too. XD Judging from what I can tell, you do like Fairy Tail right? Hahahaha. Also, I get what you mean that it's pretty ok for now. I'll ride the waves depending on the readers. Hahaha. Ah, whelp, here's another chapter! Hopefully you'll like this one as well! _**

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><p><span>Chapter 4: Just My Luck to Fall Down Into the Splitting Ground<span>

_Huff... huff. _I began to pant as I searched for a place to rest. _Ha... ha... ha... _"Okay, I think I'm fine," I whispered to myself, letting myself fall on a large hollow log. I smiled and looked up at the blue sky. The rain had cleared, and few clouds remained.

I have been running for a while now, and I was ready to fall onto a comfy bed to stay there forever. Right now, anyhow, I was not on my bed, but on a log that didn't feel that awesome.

Nonetheless, I still had not shaken off the effects homesickness gave me. Natsu, Gray, Erza, Happy, Wendy, and Carla were all on my mind.

So were...

Elfman... Lisanna... Mirajane... Levy... Master

"Thank you all for loving me and Fairy Tail." I was like this for another minute. I would stay there longer, thinking about the "former Fairy Tail" before it... before it lost so many, though I got up.

However, the instant I did get up, the ground started to rumble, and the log began to roll around furiously. I tripped on said log, and fell on my butt, which felt like it would be sore for a while afterward.

_What? _I wondered. A few trees began to fall as their roots unlatched from the once-solid ground. "This is the perfect time to panic...," I mumbled. Yeah, and I, indeed, panicked. Screaming, I got up as quickly as I could. This time I tripped on my own feet and thanks to the rumbling continued to do so. Every so often, I'd trip on something else on the ground.

And then I stopped running, because well... for some reason I couldn't feel the grou-

"KYAAAAAAAAA!" The ground under me had split and I managed to grab onto the ledge last second. The drop seemed endless, but I couldn't keep hanging on forever. Cautiously, I tried to grab my keys with my right hand.

But my keys were gone. "Uh oh...," I mumbled as I heard something clatter faintly echoing through the drop. "Damn it-I dropped my keys!" The situation was getting increasingly worse.

And to make things even more worse than it already was, the part of the ledge I had been holding onto began to crumble. "I want an immediate explanation why the hell do I have to die as soon as I leave to become a HERO?"

_Damn it..._

The ledge entirely crumbled, and I began to tumble down into the darkness.

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><p><strong><em>Somewhere in Fiore...<em>**

_"What is your report on **Lucy Heartfilia**?" _

_"We were about to assassinate her, however... there was a ****** ******** at the forest where she had been last spotted." _

_"Ah. I see. Then she is most likely dead. Good. This will create a big impact on Fairy Tail." _

_"Master?" _

_"I told you to call me **Boss. **I like it better." _

_"O-Okay Boss. Er. We should probably confirm Heartfilia's death..." _

**_"Are you _KIDDING?**_**This is fine! She's bound to be dead. 1 in a 100 survive a ****** ********! We must commence operation AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! Where was the ****** ******** located in Magnolia?"**_

_"I-I'm sorry Boss. I don't have any information on that matter. I'll get someone to come here on that."_

_"Hn. Worthless. Leave."_

_"Y-Yes Boss. I'm apologize for my lack of usefulness."_

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><p>Yo! My name is Janet and I am a female water mage! I left my guild because it was attacked by a dark guild. Unfortunately, because of that, I'm being chased, so I stay down here. To say the least, I think I'm actually pretty lucky.<p>

I'm not sure whether today is lucky or not though. After all, I found gold keys and a few other ones. _GOLD! _GOLD, man! I could get a ton of money for that.

And yet today, I just happened to be the landing pad for a blonde girl after the ceiling of the cave I was staying at split.

Oh wait, I think it's a ravine now.

So what did I do with the blonde? Ah well, first I pushed her off of me, and tried to fix my back, which was in immense pain. Then I checked the girl for any injuries (because I can) and then I went off to get a first aid kit.

When I came back, to my "luck" the girl was gone. I got the first aid kit for nothing. Sighing, I went back, taking out the gold keys from my pocket and twirling it around my index finger.

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><p>I awake, and I realize, <em>Oh my... go- I just survived that drop? What? <em>

Then I realize that I'm sitting with my back to the wall, and that I lost my keys. Getting up, I figure out that the only way I could have been in that position was if I was saved. I couldn't tell if my savior was an enemy or not, though judging from how they left me here, alone, only means that I rescued with no hostile intent.

After fixing (meaning, getting myself to feel better, and trying to figure out where I got hurt like my butt which was already sore enough) myself, and limping to the other side of the cave/ravine to hide behind a boulder to wait until the person who saved me came, I sighed.

_Today is a hectic day_. I thought. "If Wendy was here, she'd heal me," I muttered to myself, thinking about maybe going back and not taking on this near impossible quest that I'd deemed would fix Master's regrets.

I almost fell to a slumber when I heard footsteps. Flashing open my heavy eyelids, I peeked from behind the boulder.

_A girl? _There was a girl with coal-black hair, and nice figure, who was carrying a first aid kit. _For me? _I pondered to the possibility, and I thought that it was pretty obvious. _Of course. There's no one else here. _

The girl paused, noticing that I had left (A/N: Notice faster! Are you _blind?_), then turned back. I continued to watch, and waited like predator watching its prey carefully. Although, from what I could tell, this girl could probably beat me in a battle.

The girl took out my keys and started to play with them.

_Especially when she has my keys... _I thought. _I'd completely and utterly fail to win. On the other hand, I wish she didn't so casually play with my keys like that... Aquarius is going to kill me._

After the girl left, I let out a breath that I hadn't realized I had been holding, and emerged from behind the boulder. Looking around, I crouched and began to plan how to get my keys back, or Aquarius will drown me.

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><p><strong>Closing Words:<strong>

**That was pretty good right? *coff coff* But I still haven't written a single decent chapter. ;-; Wait, you guys think they're decent right?**

**On other matters, I really don't like fanfiction's "Proofread Writing" option. Sometimes it's good, though most of it just makes the story sound like something from the "olden days". Hah. Like I'd ever want to write something like that. -_- **

**By the way, what do you guys want me to do with Janet? I'll take up any [good] suggestions, although I do have an idea of what I can do (which involves a certain Water Bearer... ;) and did you guys remember what Janet is a mage of?) **

**You're just going to have to read if you want to see what's going to happen!**

**Like always, feedback is loved! (and I'll reply!)**

**~Nyantas**


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: _

_Geez. For some reason I can't find where I left my unsaved doc on this chapter. Now it's lost and I'm going to have to rewrite the entire chapter. *eye roll* Damn computer physics... or rather computer programming._

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><p><span>Chapter 5: Stew, Stealth, and a Song<span>

I began my stealth mission with clinging onto the wall, due to zero sources of light. After that, I sort of aimlessly tried to find my way to the "enemy" and their hideout, of which I had no idea was located out.

_Ugh. I should've just followed her stealthily. _I thought, regretting everything I had done up to the point where... ah, up to now. Planning was something I'm not that good at, and I wish Erza were here to fix that problem. Also, I needed light. Natsu was the one who usually provided that, and he wasn't here. Wendy would solve my aching body, which was a complete bother in the situation. Gray would be there to ensure more safety, and if Gajeel were even here (which is highly unlikely because he isn't a part of the team) then that'd be like Gray, ensuring more safety to the group.

Torches. I need torches, but I didn't have any, and it was too late by now. The moment I stepped into darkness and turned a corner, I was lost. I admit it-I was completely and utterly lost in the maze of cave pathways.

By sheer luck, I might just hit their base, but judging on my luck so far... nah, that's _probably _not going to happen anytime soon. I'd probably be on the verge of dehydration or hunger by then. Then, I'd have no energy to continue the stealth mission, and I'll just be giving myself into the "enemy".

Natsu, Gray, and Erza (as well as Gajeel if he was even there) would probably not accept "giving themselves into the enemy" and they would think of it as some bizarre phenomenon. Wendy and I would probably stay back, unless Wendy didn't want to "push back the team".

Frankly, I understand what Wendy means, and I too, do not want to push back the team... but... I-I guess you could say that I feel as though if I interfered, I would only give the enemy a means to target me, giving the rest of the team more hard work.

That and also Natsu would probably have to save me if I get used as a hostage, which would be even worse.

My team is incredibly, humiliatingly, a bit too complete. After all, Natsu can light fire and eat fire, Wendy can heal, Gray can fight, and Erza can plan. A nice team no?

I can fight too! In fact the Celestial Spirits are incredibly useful, if you must know. Now that I think about it, it really saved my team dozens of times, so in a technical way, they wouldn't be alive right now if it weren't for me, and vise versa.

This kind of thinking really does kill time, even so... my legs are starting to ache now...

_Will I ever hit their base?_

* * *

><p><em>"My name is <strong>Gildarts Clive.<strong>"_

_"Ah. You are the new **Master of Fairy Tail**?" a male mage assumed. I almost flinched at that title, and nodded silently, trying to keep myself together. "I heard he was going to retire and pass on the title to you Gildarts. It seems that the rumors were true." _

_I smiled crudely and looked around. Everyone here seemed to be calm and there were no signs of doubt, mistrust, or anyone being unusually watchful._ Was I wrong to believe that the killer was a guildmaster? _I wondered, losing faith in myself. Lately, I felt as though I couldn't protect my beloved Fairy Tail._

_And a very possible belief I would lose Cana... _

_A unique female mage with a good built spoke up, "I am Juniper, **Master of the Brave Crows**. I'm a bit new around here. I am glad your former master decided to retire. He was acting his age lately. I am worried for his health even now. To commemorate this event, I will hand you a gift as well as a gift that I would like you to pass onto Makarov." I looked at her suspiciously. Was that a smirk? _

_"Hm. Okay. When will you give it to me?" I inquired. Juniper smiled sweetly, and it made it hard to believe that she is another suspect to be killer. She took out a small piece of paper from her left jacket pocket, and read it... I think. It's a possibility she only pretended to read it. _

_"Here it says... oh! Right outside. After the meeting is over," Juniper replied cheerfully. Now that I think about it Master was late too... maybe this was the reas-_

_"Okay can we quit the chitchat? We need to get moving with the meeting." I swiftly apologized as did Juniper, but hers seemed oddly heartless. I scoffed. That was an apology? _

* * *

><p><strong><em>After the meeting...<em>**

* * *

><p><em>I excused myself from the meeting early, saying that I needed to use the restroom, and headed out. I stayed alert, and looked around for anyone possibly spying on me. If they were, I'd chase them, beat them to a pulp, and interrogate them whilst threatening to kill them. Who knows if it would work. <em>

_No one was there, so I set down the dummy. I made it light so it would topple over if anything hit it, but I also made sure it was heavy enough so it wouldn't fall over by the wind. _

_"Good," I muttered quietly, then went off to hide in the bushes. "Hopefully this'll work... unless anyone tries to speak with me." _

_It took a while, but Juniper came out after the other masters left, and told the fake me to wait there for she is getting my gift and Makarov's. I didn't reply (A/N: Duh. Of course), and she headed back into the building. _

_She never came back. It was starting to get dark, and I yawned. While doing so, a small dart flew into the dummy so quickly that I nearly made a sound, and I watched as the fake me fell over. _

_After that, Juniper came out holding two boxes. _What? _I thought, questioning reality itself. Was Juniper_ really _not the killer?__ Yet, the next thing that happened was peculiar. Instead of screaming, panicking, or anything that one would normally do when they saw a dead body, especially a new guildmaster, she giggled. **SHE GIGGLED. **_

_I gaped. "You're sooo adorable when you're dead Gildarts! I guess I'll just ask **** to report this to Fairy Tail, and all will be so, so fine!" She snickered, and left. _

_Honestly, you could say that my jaw hit the floor. I knew that Juniper was the killer, I just had to tell this to Fairy Tail. Makarov, don't worry, Fairy Tail won't go down that easi-_

_"Wha-?"  
><em>

_"Gildarts Clive, lying to me is not a good choice." _

_"Shi- Wait. ******** ****** Magic**?" _

_"Yeah. That's right."_

_"B-But that's *****'s kind!" _

_"Who's that? Oh yeah, another ant."_

_"An ant?"_

_"Do you want to know what I think of you?"_

_"No."_

_"Oh well, I'll just tell you anyways... I think you're an ant."_

_"What?"_

_"Believe me, being an ant is actually pretty cool. You're all stronger than your size and stuff. Except for **Lucy Heartfilia.**" _

_"What do you mean?"_

_"She thought she could save Fairy Tail, but instead she just went got herself to fall into a pit."_

_"**WHAT? SHE'S DEAD?**" _

_"I don't know. That's classified information!"_

_"I'm **Fairy Tail's strongest mage. **You know I can't be defeated that easily!" _

_"Ha. Let's see if you can live up that overrating title!" _

* * *

><p>You know what I said about sheer luck? I got something very much similar to that. I'm quite proud of myself! I was hugging the wall, when my legs suddenly collapsed under me-I had definitely been walking way too much. I sat down, and rested silently. It was then that I smelled a nice aroma of... whoa! Stew!<p>

If any other food beside fire had ever saved me, that's great, but this stew... has got to top everything out there. For one, I'm starving, and two, I can defeat my enemy. At the same time I tell myself that I can't really get my hopes up until I have the upper hand because right now, whoever's out there has it.

* * *

><p>Whistling, I took out a rusted, small pot from the corner of my hideout after I had made sure my fire had been renewed. I had put the priceless keys back into my pocket, and took out ingredients to the stew out from my backpack. I had gotten out and bought these things from the nearby town Magnolia, and to be honest, the town isn't half-bad at all!<p>

Except that recently, there's a bunch of bad news surrounding that certain Magnolia that I frequent to. I hear rumors, _"Did you hear? Fairy Tail won't accept any hardcore missions any more!" "Hey dude! I hear Fairy Tail's probably going to disband soon." "This is worse than that phantom guild incident!" "Fairy Tail will only accept the small missions for high prices! What bastards!" _

And frankly, all that stuff has left me thinking... just what or who is Fairy Tail? I'm glad it has nothing to do with me though. I have enough burdens on my shoulders.

I cut the ingredients and made sure they weren't raw. I gave special attention to fresh pork I had bought from Magnolia's markets, and hummed a song that I had heard from my dead mom.

The lyrics were in my head:

_The bluebird cries... it's a meaningful song.  
>It's earnest and cheerful.<br>We all listen~  
><em>_The smiles form._

_"Today is a bright day, it'll be nice I promise."_

_The bluebird cries... it's a gentle song.  
><em>_It's soft and patient.  
>We all listen...<br>Our senses calm down. _

_"Today is a safe day, it'll be calm I promise."_

_The bluebird cries... it's a strange song.  
>It's uneven and alert.<br>__We all listen.  
><em>_We stay alert._

_"Today is a dangerous day, but you'll be safe I promise."_

_The bluebird cries... it's a warning song!  
><em>_It's desperate and despairing!  
>We all listen.<br>__We're on edge. _

_"Today is a bad day, stay safe my dears."_

_The bluebird cries... it's a sad song...  
><em>_It's desolate and miserable...  
><em>_We all listen...  
>We cry.<em>

_"Today I am lost... I don't know what to do. I can do nothing. Run my dears."_

_The bluebird cries... it's a heartless song...  
><em>_It's soulless and mournful...  
>I can't hear.<br>The tears fall..._

_"Today is the last day I cry... Good...bye."_

* * *

><p><strong>Closing Words:<strong>

**Uhm. Honestly, I reeeaaalllly don't like that song. It just doesn't fit in with any kind of tune or anything else like that. I think it would be better as a poem, you know? But this not a poem. I made it a song. **

**So I'm just going to have to work with it. *sigh***

**That aside, I tried to make it a long chapter. I don't know if I accomplished what I wanted to do or not, but hopefully it has a nice balance of comedy, sadness, and staying on track with the plot.**

**Also, I'm sorry for the late update, but it's better than no update at all. **

**That's all I have to say... I'm pretty sure.**

**Again, I really would love any kind of feedback you can give me, but it's _completely _optional. **

**Hopefully, I wrote a good chapter. I kind of gave the song thing a stab in the dark annnnd it didn't really work out that well. Thanks for reading!**

**~Nyantas**


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N:_

_The reason for my overly long break is one: LAZINESS. (I think procrastinating can count under laziness right?) _

_Uh. Um. Okay, so here's chapter 6. Hurrah~ (out of energy...)_

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 6: Taking Back the Keys, Part 1<span>

_"Why did she leave?" _

_"We...You know why, Natsu."_

_"That's not an answer, Erza."_

_"But you do."_

_"But. I don't want-," he stared at the entrance, "-I don't know. I just... didn't want her to leave."_

_"Are you crying, flame brain?"_

_"No. Never. I'd never do that, popsicle breath."_

_"Natsu-san..."_

_"I miss them." _

_"We know, Happy, we know." _

_"If only... she would come back." _

_"Why not chase after her, Natsu?" _

_"Because. I-I can't. It's impossible. Even if I do she-"_

_"No, Natsu."_

_"-she... I would never be able to find her because... of..."_

_"Stop... you'll upset Cana." _

_"I wish I could protect us. My family. Fairy Tail... But... I can't." _

* * *

><p>I waited for a while, the stew's scent wafting in my direction. Sniffing it, my stomach nearly growled loud enough for the stranger to hear. It was silent enough, thank goodness, but I blushed and decided not to think about the stew nonetheless.<p>

I contemplated several ways to steal my keys back and find a way to defeat her, but they were all useless without Natsu (at least). I heard a strange hum, and I found myself humming it myself, until I caught it, silencing it by biting my tongue. The entrancing scent of the stew nearly made me leap over and take some, but again, I caught from doing so. It was difficult to restrain myself, and I almost had to physically keep myself from leaping over. This hunger... I wasn't particularly used to it. Despite the condition Fairy Tail had been in, we still found that food wasn't something too hard to find. Wendy could eat air (which, in that moment, I found completely unfair), Natsu could eat fire, and Gajeel steel. Those three weren't that difficult to find. So, there were three less people to feed. Since we all had nothing to do as we refused to do much since it was significantly dangerous to go out alone, we collected food.

Therefore, it was inevitable that I also gained weight. I refused to admit it, but it was true, courtesy of my scale. We didn't do many missions after... _that, _and what's more, I didn't really go anywhere besides the guild and my apartment.

Then the stranger took out a bowl and poured the stew in, which snapped me out of my thoughts. The smell was so... amazing... delectable... it was so close... and then the stranger took out a spoon and ate some.

I gasped, partially out of jealously. The stranger turned toward me.

* * *

><p>"Who?" I muttered to myself, the bowl of stew getting too hot for my hand. Setting my bowl down, I approached the direction in which I heard the noise. "Uh. Uh... who are you?" No reply. Well, I might as well see who it was first.<p>

As I turned the corner, I found a blonde girl, around my age, trembling slightly as she crawled away from me in hurry, causing herself to semi-trip in the process. "Are you... okay?" The girl didn't answer, and she was swiftly getting away. I, however, used to being chased, caught up with her in a matter of seconds.

A bit intolerant and impatient now, I pressed my boot against her back and crossed my arms, causing her to collapse. The girl warily looked up at me, fear clear in her brown eyes. "Uh, um... sorry...? I didn't mean to... uh... um... scare you?" I hadn't spoken to anybody in forever, and this... was... awkward. I couldn't find the right words, and I wondered why I had decided to throw my boot onto the defenseless girl and looking like I could kill her if I wanted to. Although, at this point, if I let her go she would escape, so I kept her there, feeling guilty. I settled on a simple question. "What's your name?"

"Lucy!" she blurted out almost instantly, the terror in her voice significant. The name sounded familiar, but no. I didn't know her. At least, I didn't remember. The fear had made me a bit unsteady. _I'm terrifying her_. I wanted us to be friends, but I wasn't sure if she was a spy for the dark guild that had chased me. After all, she was hiding. I pondered what to do with the girl, Lucy apparently, who remained under my foot as she struggled to escape. I kept her down. It wasn't so easy surviving in a cave, and it was difficult to find money, too. My strength had been of importance when boulders fell and such, so I had remarkable strength. The money was most important and that was what made it so especially hard down here. That's why the gold keys were that important and such a find...

Then something clicked. Was she the girl that fell? She looked strikingly similar... Both were blonde, and they were about the same height... "What were you doing before now?"

"Um. Um... uh, looking for food?" she mumbled. Not the answer I want.

"Before that."

"Um. I... f-fell?" That confirmed it. I lifted my boot off of her and went back to my stew, not really caring whether she followed or not. She did, but she kept her distance, most likely attracted by the scent of the food. She seemed awfully pampered, and I didn't really like those types of people, but it was fine. She fell down a ravine and was clearly having a bad day.

I settled down next to my bowl of stew, which, to my distaste, had gotten somewhat cold. "Uh. Uh..." I rolled my eyes and took out another bowl which was my spare.

"Stew?" Lucy vigorously nodded. I gave her the bowl for her to help herself to the stew which she eagerly took, but with that wariness I couldn't overlook. It reminded me so much of myself out shopping in Magnolia, where there was nobody I could truly trust. "T-Thank you..."

"Mm." The stew wasn't bad, but there was obvious room for improvement.

"It's good, " Lucy muttered. I shrugged in response. "W-What's your name?" I wondered how to answer this, for a moment, before my torch began to flicker as it weakened. I'd have to renew it tomorrow.

Without thinking, I answered with my real name while lost in my thoughts, "Janet." Lucy smiled and nodded in response. I regretted answering even so. Was she really an innocent girl that happened to fall from a now ravine cave?

I had my suspicions, but I had to settle on observing her for now.

"Ah. So, um, Janet... uh. Have you... seen... my keys?"

"No," I said too quickly.

"What?"

"What keys?" I asked back as I secretly grasped the keys in my pocket. I wasn't about to let these be taken away. She must have seen them and want them for herself. I can't trust her.

"Uh. They're gold? And silver. If you don't know about them, can you at least help me look for them?"

"Maybe. L-Let's finish the stew first."

* * *

><p>I knew for sure that Janet had my keys. I saw something glint in her hand as she nervously fidgeted while simultaneously eating the stew which I found had revived me.<p>

But, for now, I had to pretend I didn't know. In the end, they _were _still very valuable keys. I'm sure she would try to keep them to herself.

We finished the stew soon after. "So, uh, about the keys..."

"I'll help you look for them, yeah, but not now. Tomorrow. First, I have to rest," Janet responded. She stretched and tossed the bowl in a corner, most likely going to clean it the next morning, along with the spoon. Then she crawled to a corner and used her backpack as a pillow.

Janet didn't say anything after that. I was left flustering about how I was going to go to sleep. I had nothing of use. "Uh, Janet...?" I trailed off, hoping that Janet would help me with my current situation, but she didn't move. I assumed she was already sleeping by now, and that I was left to my own devices.

Then... could I steal the keys off of her while she was asleep? I hated making enemies, but I had to do it right? For the sake of the keys, I had to.

Exhaling, I began to slowly approach Janet, making sure my footsteps were light.

Can I really do this?

* * *

><p><strong>Closing Words: <strong>

**I couldn't find a place to end it, so I did right here. Er, hopefully this was a decent chapter. I didn't really like it. Too much of nothing. **

**Therefore, I will try to create more action with the next chapter, or at least try. If not action, a longer chapter perhaps? **

**Anyway, that's about it. I'll end it here.**

**~Nyantas**


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